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Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (song)

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"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"
Song by Skrillex
from the EP Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
ReleasedOctober 22, 2010
Recorded2010
Genre
Length4:03
Label
Songwriter(s)Sonny Moore
Producer(s)Sonny Moore
Official audio
"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" on YouTube

"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" is a song recorded by the American producer Skrillex. It is the second track from his second extended play, Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, released on October 22, 2010, through Mau5trap and Big Beat. The song won the Best Dance Recording category at the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012. It has since been named a highly influential electronic dance music (EDM) song, with Vice ranking it as the best EDM track of all time in 2017.

Background and composition[edit]

According to Noisia, "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" started being worked on in their vocal booth when Skrillex was staying with them, writing songs together,[1] in May 2010.[2] Noisia said that, after member Nik showed Skrillex the Native Instruments synthesizer FM8, Skrillex created "FM8 Test". This test song would later become "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". Skrillex finished its first draft after he went back home.[1]

"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"
A short sample of "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites".
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" is a dubstep track in the key of A# minor. It has a speed of 140 beats per minute.[3] It uses a vocal sample of exclamations from Rachael Nedrow (also known as "speedstackinggirl") shouting "Yes, oh my gosh!", after speedily stacking a set of cups in one of her YouTube videos. Although permission to use the sample was not initially granted nor was Nedrow aware of its use, she was later compensated an undisclosed sum.[4][5]

The name "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" comes from the David Bowie album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) and its title track.[6]

Reception[edit]

"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" was released as the second track from Skrillex's second extended play, Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, released on October 22, 2010, through Mau5trap and Big Beat. It was prominently used in the 2012 film Spring Breakers.[6] It was featured in an ad for GoPro titled "Kayak Kiss with Ben Brown".[7] It appeared in the 2012 video games Major League Baseball 2K12[8] and Ridge Racer Unbounded.[9] On February 12, 2012, the song won Best Dance Recording at the 54th Grammy Awards.

The EP itself contains remixes by Zedd and Noisia.[10] Skrillex's next EP, More Monsters and Sprites (2011), includes remixes by Dirtyphonics, Phonat, The Juggernaut, and Kaskade.

Chart performance[edit]

In the United States, "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" spent fourteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at 69,[6] and also peaked on Billboard's Heatseekers Songs at number 3.[11] It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America with 2 million certified units.[12] In Canada, the song received a platinum certification by Music Canada with 80,000 certified sales.[13] In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at 22 on Official Charts Company's UK Dance Singles,[14] receiving a Silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry with 200,000 certified units.[15]

In Australia, it topped the ARIA Charts's Hitseekers[16] and peaked at 56 on their main singles chart.[17] With 140,000 certified sales, it was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association.[18] In Sweden, it peaked at 20 on Sverigetopplistan's singles chart[19] and placed 50 on their 2011 year-end chart.[20] It was certified double platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association, with 80,000 certified sales.[21] "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" appeared in the main charts of France (SNEP)[22] and Norway (VG-lista).[23] Based on streaming figures, the song was certified platinum in Denmark by IFPI Danmark, with 1,800,000 certified units.[24]

Legacy[edit]

Billboard's Kat Bein named "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" one of the songs that defined the 2010s,[6] being a highly popular and influential EDM song.[6][25] Describing it as "a generational classic",[10] Bein said that this was Skrillex's "first massive takeover hit": "It's been all uphill from here, at least professionally, and yet this game-changing single remains one of Skrillex' best and most important recordings to date".[25]

In 2012, Spin named "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" the fifth greatest dubstep song of all time.[26] In 2015, the same magazine named it the second greatest electronic dance music (EDM) anthem of the first half of the 2010s.[27] In 2016, Kat Bein named it the best song in Skrillex's discography at the time.[25] In 2017, Vice named it the best EDM song of all time.[28] In 2019, Billboard staff considered it one of the 100 songs that defined the decade[6] and the ninth greatest dance song of the decade.[29] In 2022, Rolling Stone Australia named it the 64th greatest dance song of all time.[30] In 2023, NME felt it was one of Skrillex's key tracks.[31]

In 2019, a study published in Acta Tropica suggested that playing "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" could make Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which transmit the dengue fever, attack hosts later and less often as well as mate "far less often". The song was chosen because it mixes very high and very low frequencies.[32][33]

Track listing[edit]

Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites EP track
No.TitleLength
2."Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"4:03

Charts and certifications[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[18] 2× Platinum 140,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[13] Platinum 80,000*
Sweden (GLF)[21] 2× Platinum 80,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[15] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[12] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡
Streaming
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[24] Platinum 1,800,000†

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Noisia interview: Beyond The Outer Edges". Skiddle. July 4, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  2. ^ Dj Aroy. "Noisia - Interview". Actualites Electroniques. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  3. ^ "Skrillex – "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" (Original Mix) [Big Beat Records]". Beatport. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  4. ^ Cunningham, Hailey. "Cup stacking champ Rachael Nedrow discusses the sport and Skrillex". The Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 21, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  5. ^ Fu, Eddied (September 3, 2018). "Skrillex's Drop On "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites" Samples A Competitive Cup Stacking Video". Genius. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Bain, Katie (November 21, 2019). "Songs That Defined the Decade: Skrillex's 'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites'". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  7. ^ "GoPro Official Website: The World's Most Versatile Camera". Archived from the original on April 21, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  8. ^ "Check out the Spin-curated soundtrack to Major League Baseball 2K12". Spin. February 16, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  9. ^ Hillier, Brenna (March 6, 2012). "Ridge Racer soundtrack features Skrillex, Crystal Method, more". VG247. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Bein, Kat (October 24, 2018). "Skrillex's Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites EP Turns 8, Exemplifies the Peak of a Moment". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Skrillex Chart History (Heatseekers Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  12. ^ a b "American single certifications – Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". Recording Industry Association of America.
  13. ^ a b "Canadian single certifications – Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". Music Canada.
  14. ^ a b "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  15. ^ a b "British single certifications – Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  16. ^ a b "The ARIA Report: Issue 1117" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. July 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 29, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2024 – via Pandora Web Archive.
  17. ^ a b "The ARIA Report: Issue 1114" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. July 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 29, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2024 – via Pandora Web Archive.
  18. ^ a b "Oct 2023 Single Accreds" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 14, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  19. ^ a b "Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  20. ^ a b "Årslista Singlar – År 2011" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Swedish Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  21. ^ a b "Sverigetopplistan – Skrillex" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  22. ^ a b "Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  23. ^ a b "Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". VG-lista. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  24. ^ a b "Danish single certifications – Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". IFPI Danmark.
  25. ^ a b c Bein, Kat (December 1, 2016). "The 20 Best Skrillex Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  26. ^ "The 30 Greatest Dubstep Songs of All Time". Spin. July 24, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  27. ^ "These Will Be the Years: The 100 Greatest EDM Anthems of the '10s". Spin. May 28, 2015. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  28. ^ "The 101 Best EDM Songs of All Time". Vice. July 12, 2017. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  29. ^ "The 60 Greatest Dance Songs of the Decade: Staff List". Billboard. November 26, 2019. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  30. ^ Dolan, Jon; Lopez, Julyssa; Matos, Michelangelo; Staffe, Claire (July 25, 2022). "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone Australia. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  31. ^ Moore, Sam (February 15, 2023). "Skrillex: the influential DJ and producer's story in 10 tracks". NME. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  32. ^ Dieng, Hamady; The, Ching Chuin; Satho, Tomomitsu; Miake, Fumio; Wydiamala, Erida; Kassim, Nur Faeza A.; Hashim, Nur Aida; Morales Vargas, Ronald E.; Morales, Noppawan P. (2019). "The electronic song 'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites' reduces host attack and mating success in the dengue vector Aedes aegypti". Acta Tropica. 194: 93–99. doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.03.027. PMID 30922800.
  33. ^ "Dubstep artist Skrillex could protect against mosquito bites". BBC. April 1, 2019. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  34. ^ "Skrillex Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-06-12.

External links[edit]

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